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Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, equipped with large shields and spears. He also had 280,000 men from Benjamin who carried small shields and were adept archers; they were all skilled warriors. Zerah the Cushite marched against them with an army of 1,000,000 men[a] and 300 chariots . He arrived at Mareshah, 10 and Asa went out to oppose him. They deployed for battle in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

11 Asa prayed[b] to the Lord his God: “O Lord, there is no one but you who can help the weak when they are vastly outnumbered.[c] Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you and have marched on your behalf against this huge army.[d] O Lord, you are our God; don’t let men prevail against you!”[e] 12 The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 13 and Asa and his army chased them as far as Gerar. The Cushites were wiped out;[f] they were shattered before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah[g] carried off a huge amount of plunder. 14 They defeated all the towns surrounding Gerar, for the Lord caused them to panic.[h] The men of Judah[i] looted all the towns, for they contained a huge amount of goods.[j] 15 They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen in charge of the livestock.[k] They carried off many sheep and camels and then returned to Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 14:9 tn Heb “a thousand thousands.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 14:11 tn Heb “called out.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 14:11 tn Heb “there is not except you to help between many with regard to [the one] without strength.”
  4. 2 Chronicles 14:11 tn Heb “and in your name we have come against this multitude.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 14:11 tn Heb “let not man retain [strength] with you.”
  6. 2 Chronicles 14:13 tn Heb “and there fell from the Cushites so that there was not to them preservation of life.”
  7. 2 Chronicles 14:13 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  8. 2 Chronicles 14:14 tn Heb “for the terror of the Lord was upon them.”
  9. 2 Chronicles 14:14 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  10. 2 Chronicles 14:14 tn Heb “for great plunder was in them.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 14:15 tn Heb “and also they struck down the tents of the livestock.”

Asa had an army of three hundred thousand out of Judah who bore bucklers and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand out of Benjamin who bore shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor.

Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million troops and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10 Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 Asa cried to Yahweh his God, and said, “Yahweh, there is no one besides you to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength. Help us, Yahweh our God; for we rely on you, and in your name are we come against this multitude. Yahweh, you are our God. Don’t let man prevail against you.”

12 So Yahweh struck the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 13 Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar: and so many of the Ethiopians fell that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before Yahweh and before his army; and they carried away very much booty. 14 They struck all the cities around Gerar; for the fear of Yahweh came on them, and they plundered all the cities; for there was much plunder in them. 15 They also struck the tents of livestock, and carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.

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